RTD Bus Designs
THE CHALLENGE
While working in-house at RTD (Regional Transportation District), I had the honor to create a variety of bus designs. The following are designs for the Parade of Lights, Veterans Day and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage.
OUTCOME
After the Parade of Lights event, the holiday bus was used for a donation drive around the Denver area. The AANHPI and Veteran's Day buses were featured at RTD events honoring employees and are currently in service in downtown Denver.
ROLE
Illustration, Graphic Design, Apparel Design, Photography, Video Editing
Click here to see bus in action at the parade.
9NEWS Parade of Lights
The concept behind the Parade of Lights bus was to create a wrapping paper design that makes the bus look like a gift to the community, complete with a gift tag. The illustrations feature nods to Denver, such as the Big Blue Bear, Blucifer, the state of Colorado logo, and the Wells Fargo cash register building. Matching sweaters and scarves, worn by volunteers walking in the parade, were available for purchase online and quickly sold out.
Honoring Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage
The creative brief for the AANHPI bus design was to create a design that represented all of the cultures without emphasizing one over the others. I began by researching AANHPI artists who created similar works of art, as well as other design campaigns that honored their heritage. I was inspired by the wave motifs, as well as the rising sun and flowers that were representative of each of the countries. I incorporated each of these elements into my finished illustration and drew inspiration from the vibrant color palette I discovered through my research. I paid close attention to ensuring the art style properly reflected the AANHPI cultures.
Honoring Veterans Day
The creative brief for the Veterans Day bus design was to create something modern, elegant, and that could represent all branches of the military. How do you create a graphic that accomplishes all these goals? I found inspiration looking at USA olympic uniform designs. My solution was to use just the stars and stripes, but add interest and movement by placing flowing lines at an angle and using large and small stars to create depth in a celebratory way.
